Saugus Town Meeting votes against reconsidering anti-graffiti bylaw

SAUGUS – An anti-graffiti bylaw survived a reconsideration vote at Monday night?s second session of Town Meeting after it was overwhelmingly passed two weeks ago.Town Meeting member Michael Dockery made a motion to reconsider article 14, an anti-graffiti bylaw that calls for property owners to remove graffiti within 14 days or face a fine. The article passed 36-2 on May 7.Town Meeting member Peter Manoogian, who wrote the article, said that it was thoroughly debated last meeting and noted that Police Chief Dominic DiMella supported it.?I?m 100 percent confident that the Police Department would not be over zealous,” he said. “Please do not vote to reconsider this. Your vote was overwhelming.”DiMella said there needs to be a mechanism in place to have graffiti removed at some point.?This is an eyesore and it does affect property values,” he said. “When you see it left on buildings and fences, it encourages more graffiti.”Town Meeting member Maureen Dever noted that while Town Meeting supported it two weeks ago, the article “lacked a process.”?A number of citizens have expressed their concern that it?s not thought out and there?s no process,” she said. “It?s not about winning. It?s about having the best possible bylaw.”Resident Brian Costin spoke against the article and said it?s a non-brainer to support removing graffiti, but said “you?re throwing the baby out with the bath water,” and noted it would have a negative effect on seniors on a fixed income.?My grandkids are chalking up my driveway all the time, is that graffiti?” he asked. “I walk through Breakheart and there?s graffiti and it?s a state park. Do we go after them? What about a house of worship? Does a clergyman pay for it ? the pope?”After around 30 minutes of debate, Town Meeting voted 29-13 against reconsidering the article, which would have put it back on the warrant for another vote.In other business, Town Meeting voted to approve the 2014 water and sewer accounts.Town Meeting appropriated $5.5 million for the water enterprise account, which includes $300,000 in salaries, and $3.8 million for the sewer enterprise account, which includes $251,000 in salaries.Town Meeting also reauthorized revolving funds for recreational programs in town, the water system cross-connection program, Senior Center activities and the Senior Center lunch program, and authorized the Town Treasurer to borrow $768,000 from the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority for pipeline improvements.Article 13, a bylaw to establish rent control in Saugus? mobile home parks, was indefinitely postponed by a vote of 29-11-1.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].